Democracy Now! Blog

Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, the drummer for the legendary hip-hop group The Roots, talks about the Cosby Show episode that left an indelible impression on him when he saw it at a young age: a guest appearance by Stevie Wonder, showcasing the art of sampling. [includes rush transcript]

Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, the drummer for the legendary hip-hop group The Roots, has been harassed by law enforcement on multiple occasions since a young age. In this Democracy Now! web exclusive, Questlove describes what’s likely his oddest experience: the time DEA agents held him at a Buffalo airport, suspecting him of being a drug dealer. [includes rush transcript]

Since 2009, the legendary hip-hop group The Roots have made an unlikely transition as the nightly house band on NBC’s "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon." In this Democracy Now! web exclusive, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, The Roots’ drummer and "Late Night" musical director, talks about the 2011 controversy that almost got them fired: For the walkout music introducing guest Michele Bachmann, the Republican lawmaker and then-presidential candidate, The Roots played the Fishbone song "Lyin’ Ass Bitch." [includes rush transcript]

We continue our conversation with former NAACP chair Julian Bond and Rustin’s partner, Walter Naegle. Rustin played a central role in organizing the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which the nation is set to celebrate the 50th anniversary of in the coming weeks. [includes rush transcript]

Watch clips from when Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman joined MSNBC’s “Melissa Harris-Perry” Saturday, to discuss the sale of the The Washington Post to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the March on Washington and the RNC controversy over Hillary Clinton films.

As the Obama family heads to their annual summer vacation on Martha’s Vineyard, perhaps the president should take along a copy of "Catch-22" for some beach reading. Joseph Heller’s classic, satirical antiwar novel, published in 1961 and based on his experiences as a bombardier in the second world war, is sadly relevant today, as Obama’s wars, in Afghanistan and beyond, drag on.

Many cable companies refuse to list the titles of shows that air on public access television stations in their on-screen guides. Now media activists are pushing for the FCC to intervene. [includes rush transcript]

Journalist Glenn Greenwald responds to a report by Reuters about how a secretive U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration unit is covering up its use of intelligence intercepts and wiretaps to help launch criminal investigations of Americans.

U.S. Army whistleblower Bradley Manning was found guilty today of 20 charges in total, including espionage, but he was acquitted of aiding the enemy, the most serious charge. Michael Ratner, an attorney for WikiLeaks, appeared on the Democracy Now! special broadcast to respond to today’s verdict. [includes rush transcript]

Watch Democracy Now!'s interview with the director of the feature film, "Fruitvale Station," which opens in theaters nationwide this week. "I've seen these kind of things happen before, instances of police brutality and instances of urban violence, and people riot and rally," Ryan Coogler told Democracy Now! when we spoke to him at the Sundance Film Festival. "I felt that myself, as an artist and as a filmmaker, maybe I could do something that could help attack this issue at the root through my art."

More than 150 days in their hunger strike, at least 45 Guantánamo prisoners are being force-fed through tubes. "It’s regrettable that it’s taking them putting their lives at risk to get us to pay attention, that they’ve been cleared for transfer, yet they’re still in prison," says Col. Morris Davis, former chief prosecutor at Guantánamo. [includes rush transcript]

Amy Goodman with Denis Moynihan — What price would you pay not to kill another human being? At what point would you commit the offenses allegedly perpetrated by Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who was charged Wednesday with desertion and “misbehavior before an enemy?”